When Billy Crudup took to the Emmy stage to accept his second Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series win for the role of Cory Ellison in Apple TV+ series The Morning Show, his first thought was for his wife -- and fellow nominee -- Naomi Watts.
"I'm happy to be here with my piece of eye candy there, my wife," he said after an initial thank you. He also noted, in a seemingly political aside, that "she happens to be an immigrant", and went on to champion her for her "searing performance this year for which she's nominated," referring to her lead role of Babe Paley in anthology series Feud: Capote vs. the Swans.
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In The Morning Show, Crudup's role of network president Cory, for which he has been nominated three times, has involved everything from singing showtunes in Season 1, to unrequited love, Machiavellian meltdowns, and heartbreaking vulnerability in the face of his terrifying mother (Lindsay Duncan) in this past Season 3.
The Morning Show, co-created by Kerry Ehrin, with Charlotte Stoudt as showrunner for Season 3 and the upcoming Season 4, details the goings-on at fictional Television news network UBA, led by anchors Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston) and Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon).
Crudup had much praise, too, for Ehrin, "who invented this character, and her team". He paid tribute to them and to showrunner Stoudt, "who have expanded upon this character. This process has been incredible for me."
The series has a total of 16 Emmy nominations this year, including Aniston, Witherspoon, Nicole Beharie, Greta Lee, Karen Pittman and Marcia Gay Harden (who lost out in her Guest Actress category last weekend to Michaela Coel for Mr. & Mrs. Smith.) Crudup beat out his co-stars Mark Duplass and Jon Hamm to win this Supporting Actor category.
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